Rail joint



ct. 2Q, i931. B. s. Dic KKKK 0N 1,827,840

IIIIIII NT Patented Oct. Z0, 19?1v *I PATENT.O'F-iE; l.

^ BYRAMv s. DICKEn-soivior'rND1ANePoLIs, INDIAN@ g .2 1 K Application filed Decemher i6,`,190. .Serial No, 502x294,V

Y This invention relates to rail j oi-nts yfor vrail-` way t'rackslandv an object of the inventionis to 'provide a splice plate which willeliminate t. jolts Yand noise incident tor the crack's or" 5 spacesbetween the ends of rails and to'provide the smooth rollingsurface which 'would' obtaini the rails were continuons.

VA' further object is'to provide a rail joint* whichare made apart hereof'and, on which` '2U simil-arrefereneecharacterslndicate simi`v lar parts,

VFigure l 1s a plan viewshowing the pre- 5 vplates of this structure the jointsbetween the p rails do not necessarily havent-o; loeinninedi-A 'ately vertical over a tie since the flanges"fully:VK '5u -reenforce g the splice plates and'make them' ferred ,elnbodirnento the invention, Y. Y Figure 2, a side elevation of the same,

SPEC@A bei f0.1?- securing adjacent ends of railstogether; The ,head `ofeach -railis out away at12 and the basei-scutaway at eachl l side adj acent'the end at'lS.A The splice plates 1l 'are providedrwith top portions 15 which v engagev in 4the out away portion 1 2 ofthe-rail.

The ends ofthe portions 150i the plates vare cutfatl toconforrn to the cut away portion', of; the"V rails atYV their ends'so that' thejspliceplatest neatlywithin the 'out away portions ofthe ends othe rails, vThe rails, however,

may contract and `expand since a suitable clearance is allowed iorthe necessary eXpansplicing plates at 'theirV ends sea-t upon'.-k the i Which'they efe bolted'i th usual'immerYt obect'onable gaps between l depending ianges or sides-23 lwhichextendv Figure 3, a section onl line V{9V-'310i Figurel 2,? Figure ha section on line 4-4 ofFigure12, Figure 5, a section'on line' -fof Figure lso that a part of the weight of 'the train is ure 8 the inwardly extendingportion 280i sion due to changes' in 'temperature, "Thel base'flanges of the'rail's as shown at 17'.v The l central portion of' thev splicejplates, however, ext/end down through a cut-away portionllS of the bases 'of the'rails and thebases 19` of, these plates lie in theplane of the baseof vthe rails so -that Vthey may rest i lirinly uponthe Vrailroad .tiesf Holes areprovided injthek splice plates,` as shownl at 20, Vby lineans fo the rails. 4Frointheconstruction defined it Ywill loe apparent that there is no break inthe vv top of the rail fsincefthe'f wheels yoi,1;he'1o"cof` motive will ride 'upon the 'portionlc ofthe splicing vplates prortoreaching'the spacey 2 2; vbetween the'ends oftherails 'fheie'aivill` thereforev loe a continuo-us"v solid' bed `or gthe wheel 'with rno -clickingfor jarringrefectf'as; Q

thej'whe'els passov'er thera'il,*join yIn the` modified form oi'fthe 'iiveiition,. j shown in Figure, 6, the splioingplates have 70 well down between the ties' 24 so 'thatwith suiciently strong to supportI thefweight of the train, `In all forms there-is' a shoulder c portion 25 whichrestsagainstafcorrespond'f l l y ing ledge at'26 which''i'orinsa.partofthe.V SQ c base of the rail; `Infthisatorin as alsoin the-V preferred Vform the portion-'150i the splice plate extends inlsothat a shoulder27 Irests: against' an outer portion ofthe top of thevrail supported on the rail instead'of` alllo'eing sup. PIted by 4the Splicing'platesg Y 1 ina-e am of)bernahmen-suman Fig;

the splicing plates rest'sffdi'rectly Fuponf the top l 4 of the rail, a ,portionbeingcuteawayat 29H35()A y vthat the entire weightf the train is carried,l p byv the splicingk pl'atesV The splicing. plates rest'at their lower ends uponthelbaseof the rails asshown at 30; Q

Y'In the orinshown Figure 9;' the inward?" ly extendingportions Blof thefspl'icingplates c rest upon corresponding 'ledgesV 32 joif the tops .of thev rai-ls? louta' portion; of fthe top of@ the' railextendsup y,as shown at so thatf'the"*196l y 1 rail'also supports part of the weight of the train. In all forms of the invention, however, the top of the rail provides a continuous track so that all jarring is eliminated.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the inventionfand therefore I ,do not, limit inyseli1 to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyias indicated by the appended claims. f j Y A Having'thus fully described my said invention, what I cla-im as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: A j

l. A rail joint comprising the combination with two opposingrail ends, each having a portion otits head and .base'cu't away: for a desirable` length from the end providing iV sloping shoulder oneach'side of its head and Y, base, a pair ofverticalsplice plates having a minimum depth at the middle sectionequal to thel full depth of the rails, a portion Vof the upper edge of each'plate adapted to forni a part of the wheel tread-in lieu ci the cutaway4 grail heads, the inner face of each'plate being fashioned to lit the contour of the rail webs andthe cutaway portions of the heads `and basesof vthe rail endsfon theirrespective sides forfthetotal lengthof the cutaway portions motbo'th rail'ends', and extending ateach end in alreduced section .adapted to fit snugly against thezunder face 'of the head, the web, and top surface voit' the base, where the railiis of,`fii llsection, Kand' means for holdingthe splice plates securely against the -railf ends allowing `only slight" longitudinal movement of the railends rela-jtiveto the'splice plates,` substantially as set forth; j 2. A Vrail jointfcomprising the combination with two opposing rail ends, each having aA portion ofitsvhead and base cut away thereby :torminga projectionon each side oi?l its head and base', a-pair of vertical splice plates substantially similar in design, having a inini-' muni depth at themiddle section equalto the full depth of the rails, laportion of the upper edge of ea'chplate adapted to" form a part ofthe wheel tread, on its respective side, in

lieu of the vcut away rail heads, the middle crosssectionarea of eacliplate of such sym- Inetry,` to @the vertical and horizontal axes through the center of gravity of the area, that the neutral ,axis resulting from an applied vertical bending movement is substantially horizontal, and each `plate resistsv such verticalgbending l,according to the principles of true girder' action, means fora positive trans- Y mission ofstrain resulting from an applied vertical bendingl movement from each splice p late to the, other through the reduced rail Y s ections, means orholcling the splice plates securely againstf 'the railends allowing only slightlongitudinal;movementofthe rails rel-` itiv tothe spliceplates, substantifallyassetA 3. A rail joint comprising the combinaforming an angle one with the other, their intersection being a straight line below the "rail base, the angle of intersection providinga projection, orshoulder, on the upper part ofthe remaining portion ,of the rail base oneach side relative to the web; a pairof vertical splice plates ,having a minimum depth at the middlesection equal tothe full depth ofthe rails,1a portion of the upper edge vof each splice plate adapted to form a part ofthe wheel tread in lieu yoi thecut away rail heads, the innerpface of `ea'chiplate being grooved to conform with the contour of the cut( way rail heads and bases for the hori- Zontal Adistance required to tit the two opposing cut away portionsof the railyends, and extendingat each 4end in a reduced section to lit snuglyaga-inst the web of the rail, the

under surfacerothehead and the upper surlacefofthe basewhere theV rail is ofi'ull secj tion, means ifor-holding the splice plates Ysecurely againstthe rail ends Vgallowing only slight longitudinal movement of theV rails relative to the splice plates, substantially .as

setiiorth.` Y :l ,gli i 4. A rail joint comprising the Vcombination with'two .opposing rail ends,j each having its head cut awayoneach'side,"the planes of the cutaway surfaces ofthe head if produced formingjananglexone withthe other, their intersection being astraight line above the rail head,` the angle of intersection providing a projection, or shoulder, on the lower part of the remaining portion of the rail head on each side relative to the web; a pairof splice plates, a portion of the upper edge `of'eachV platefadaptedto form a part ofthe wheel treadion its respective side, in lieu of the cut away railheads,lthe"inner face of eachplate being grooved tozfit the contour of the cut Vaway rail headsvfor: thefhorizontal length of the two ,opposing cutaway rail heads, and extending at each end inV a reduced section to fit snugly. the web ofY the rail, the under surtace ci the `head and upper suriaceof the basefwhere the rail isofffull section; means,

:tor holding `the spliceplates securely against the rail endsallowing only slivht longitudinal movenientoii-the railsrelative tothe 'splice plates, substantiallyfasset forth f .giro

7*,5.- A rail jointconipiising :theYcombina-` i tion with two opposing rail ends, each having :i itShead cut awa-y on; eacli'side `for a desir-A able length from the end, leaving a narrow strip of wheel tread i-n the middle of the head, a slo-ping shoulder on each side thereof; a pair of splice plates which may be similar in design, aportion of the upper edge of each plate adapted to form a part of the wheel tread, on its respective side, in lieu of the cuty away rail heads, the inner face of each plate grooved to fit the contour of the cut away rail heads for a horizontal length equalto the length of the vtwo opposing cut away rail heads, and extending at each end in a reduced section to fit snugly the web of the rail, the under surface of the head and lupper surface of the base, where the rail is of full section,

means for holding the splice plates securely against the rail ends allowing vonly slightv longitudinal movement of the rails relative to the splice plates, substantially as set forth.

6. A splice plate for the ends of railway rails having a longitudinal rib adapted to s eat on a portion of the base of the rail and having a kdepending edge adapted to extend through a cut away portion of the base and a longitudinal shoulder adapted to extend over a cut-away portion ofthe rail, the top of said' shoulder lying flush with the top of the rail and serving as a part of the top of the railV to support the train, substantiallyl as set forth.

7. A rail joint comprising the combination with two opposing rail ends, each rail end Vbeing reduced in section by having its head cut away on each side thereof, a pair of splice plates designed to form an integral wheelV Vtread in lieu of the cut-away heads and to extend at each end in a reduced section to iit snugly the under surface of the'head, the web, and the upper surface of the base where the rail is of full section, the Vinner face of f each plate rabbeted to conform to the projections, or shoulders, which obtain from leaving a portion of the head on each side throughout the reduced rail end sections, means of holding the splice plates securely against the rail ends allowing only a`slight longitudinal movement of the rails relative to the splice*- kweb, and the upper surface of the base where leaving a portion of thehead and base on each side of each rail throughout the reduced rail end sections, and means for holding the splice plates securely against the' rail ends allowving only a slight longitudinal movement of the rails relative to the splice plates, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination o f rail ends having a plates having longitudinal ribs adaptedto fit over the cutaway portions of the top of vthe rail, said ribs serving with the remaining portion of the rail for supporting the-weight of trains passing over the rails and to provide a smooth joint,` substantially as set forth.v

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 13th kday of December, lA. D. nineteen hundred and thirty. y

BYRAM S. DICKERSON.

the rail is of full section, a portion of the. i

Vupper edge of each plate adapted to form a' part of the wheel tread on its respective side f Y in lieu of the cut awayirail heads, the innerface of eachV plate'rabbeted to conform to the projections, or shoulders which obtain 'fromff Y f portion of the tops of the rails cut off, of

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